Thorsten nordenfelt



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THORSTEN NORDENFELT, OF VESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE MAXIM-NORDENFELT GUNS AND AMMUNITION COMPANY, (LIMITED) OF SAME rLAoE.

BASE-FUSE FOR PROJ ECTILES.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,802, dated March 18, 18,90. Application filed November] 3, 1889. Serial No. 330,152 (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, THoEsTEN NORDENFELT, civil engineer, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing' at 32 Victoria Street, in the city of Westminster, England, have invented certain neur and useful Improvements in Base- Fuses for Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object improve- Io ments in base-fuses for projectiles. In this base-fuse the pellet, which by striking upon a patch of fulminate ultimately fires the charge and bursts the projectile, is restrained in the following' manner, so that the eXplosion cannot take place until after the projectile has left the gun: The pellet is contained in a chamber, at the fore end of which the fulminate patch is situate. In the wall'of this chamber there is a hole, and 'there is a zo corresponding cavity in the side of the pellet.

A steel ball of suit-able size is lodged partly in the hole and partlyin the cavity. So long as the ball occupies this position the pellet is held fastin its place and cannot approach the patch of fulminate. The hole, however, communicates with another chamber in the shell of the fuse, and this contains a bolt capable of sliding in a longitudinal direction.

1 The bolt, however, is locked in its place by 3o a pin screwed into it and through the wall of the chamber. This chamber is open in rear, and when the gun is fired the pressure in the gun forces the bolt to move, the end of the locking-pin being shorn off. This brings a 3 5 pocket or cavity in the side of the bolt opposite to the ball, and then (with the requisite delay) the ball passes into the pocket and the pellet becomes free to act on the impact of the projectile with the object.

4o In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.

Figure l is a longitudinal section of a base fuse constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 in Fig. l. A Fig. 3 is also a transverse section, but with the parts in the position they occupy after ring. Fig. l is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 is a transverse 5o section, of the fuse-body.

a is the pellet. It is cylindrical in form and furnished in front with a point d. The pellet is lodged in a central longitudinal cavity in the fuse-body, which is closed in front by a screw-plug b. In the plug b there is a hole for the passage of the point a', and over the hole in a cavity in the plug is a patch of fulminate Z2', which is kept in place by a small perforated cover-plate b2. The edges 6o of the cavity are burnished over to retain the cover-plate.

c is a bolt, also approximately cylindrical in form. It is lodged in -a cavity in the fusebody parallel to that which contains the pellet.

The two cavities-nan1ely, the pellet-cavity an d the bolt-cavity-communicate by a passage in which a ball d is lodged. This pas-4 sage is drilled through from the side of the 7o fuse-body, and then the outer end of the hole is closed by a screw-plug e. The ball d is partly received into a cup-like recess in the side of the pellet a and partly it occupies the passage between the cavities. The ball is kept in the passage by the bolt c, and this is held by the pin f, which is screwed into the body, and its end projects into a hole in the bolt. Behind the bolt is the copper gas-check g. The bolt-cavity is partially closed in rear 8o by the screw-ring h, and between the ring and the gas-check there is a thin wax wad At k there is a lead ring-Washer. In the side of the bolt c is the recess c. The fuse is screwed into the base of theprojectile, and, as already stated, when the gun is fired the bolt c is driven forward, the end of the pin f being shorn off. This brings the recess c into position to receive the ball, and the ball falls into it, leaving the bolt c free to pass to 9o the fore end of its cavity in' the fuse-body when the flight of the projectile is checked on impact. The point d then strikes the fulminate b, and the flash which results passes through the holes in the cover b2 to 95 the bursting charge.

This fuse is very certain in its action and also safeA The pellet cannot move so long as the ball is retained in place by the bolt, but when the bolt has been thrust forward in firing the pellet-is free, even if the ball does not of its own accord pass into the pocket in the bolt, for the pellet in its advance can vdrive the ball back. The fuse also is easily constructed and put together.

What I claim is'- l. The combination of the fuse-body, the pellet therein, the ball engaging With the pellet, and the, bolt engaging with the ball, substantially as set forth. v

2. The combination of the fuse-body, the recessed pellet therein, the ball extending into the recess of the pellet, and the sliding bolt engaging with the ball, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a base-fuse consistby the pressure of the powder-gases in the gun,

and the ball which locks the pellet and is oontained partly in a recess in the pellet and partly in a passage in the Wall of the cavity, and which is retained in position by the bolt.

' THORSTEN NORDENFELT.

Witnesses:

E. I. BRIs'roW, PHILIPS THAINE. 

